#11: C.W. Richeson's Guide to Online Marketing

[RPGnet Columns]

http://www.rpg.net/columns/oneshot/oneshot11.phtml

Summary:

Suggestions on how to market online.

Go to the column (http://www.rpg.net/columns/oneshot/oneshot11.phtml) for more information.

[iago]

Great stuff as usual, Chris. Though my name isn't Fred Hick, despite the apostrophe's insistence to the contrary. ;)

[C.W.Richeson]

Great stuff as usual, Chris. Though my name isn't Fred Hick, despite the apostrophe's insistence to the contrary. ;)

Whoops, sorry about that! :o

[Mechante_Anemone]

Great column, Chris! :)

[C.W.Richeson]

Great column, Chris! :)

Thanks!

[flyingmice]

Mmff! Once again I do everything wrong! You'd think I'd be used to it! :D

Nice overview, CW! Lots of good suggestions for a young designer!

-clash

[C.W.Richeson]

Fred does what I tried to do, but does a better job here (http://drivingblind.livejournal.com/275182.html)!

If you're new to online promotion, be sure to check out what he has to say! Fred has a well deserved reputation for being a fantastic online marketer and generally awesome guy!

[iago]

Fred does what I tried to do, but does a better job here (http://drivingblind.livejournal.com/275182.html)!

If you're new to online promotion, be sure to check out what he has to say! Fred has a well deserved reputation for being a fantastic online marketer and generally awesome guy!

I blush! I need to tint my icon red now, don't I?

That said: Oh, please! Your article's the first thing I'll point people to. My semi-organized ramble is the second one.

[Paul DuPont]

Very usefull information, especially identifying and defining the various online comunities where word of mouth (largely typing fingers) can generate interest, especially in inovative projects like what I am working on. Look for a better and more informative signature on my posts soon... :cool:

By the way, since my RPG is a labor of love with a frightningly small budget, do you have any suggestions to attract contributors like illulstrators. Do they simply come out of the same general fan base and/or pay attention to the same sites like the publishers do? I can't afford to spend a fortune for art but the book must have it, not only to look nice but to preclude long descriptions of landscapes and creatures completely foreign to earth or typical fantasy.

[C.W.Richeson]

Thanks Paul, but I'm afraid I don't have any insight into hiring illustrators. Word of mouth among developers and use of fora seem to be how most folk go about it.

I do think it's important to line up an artist whose style closely matches the feel of the game you're shooting for, so it's probably worth taking your time to find the right people.

[Paul DuPont]

I saw a post that seemed quite relevant to this thread, so I thought I would throw this in.

"If I were forming an all new company in today's market... My website would be offering a LOT of data on the game and the "core rules" would probably be available in its entirety online for free, but in HTML format so it could not be copied and printed easily. I would put some additional content, likely stuff related to the game world bound to my RPG online in HTML format as well. I would start a designers blog and input that into the site and offer forums for a place for players to gather. And absolutely, I would have the site designed so that it could also deliver 3rd party advertising so as to generate an additional revenue source. I would also begin to build out interactive tools online for players to use."
quote from 'Guild of Blades'

It mirrors some of the main points you made, for instance: my main plan at this point is to develop my website with 'a LOT of data on the game', in fact my planned layout for the book would be pretty much the same as on the website and have the same general feel.
Don't have much info to put about how to acquire the book though and you said that was among the crucial peices of information. Would the site be badly percieved if it was stock full of information about the game, including basic rules and setting but had no ordering information and little to no art yet?

[Dan Davenport]

Thanks for the shout out, Chris! :)